High School Graduation Rates by State

States record varying high school graduation rates, which also differ significantly across student demographic groups.

The U.S. Department of Education computes an adjusted graduation rate for states by dividing the number of public school students earning a regular diploma by an "adjusted cohort" for the graduating class -- the number of ninth graders four years ago, plus students transferring in, minus those who transferred, emigrated or passed away during the four school years.

Adjusted cohort high school graduation rates were first published for the 2010-11 school year, with the most recent data covering the 2014-2015 school year. Please note that data is unavailable for a few states (see notes below).

State High School Graduation Rates for All Public School Students

State

2014-15

2013-14

2012-13

2011-12

2010-11

United States

83.2%

82.3%

81.4%

80%

79%

Alabama

89.3%

86.3%

80.0%

75%

72%

Alaska

75.6%

71.1%

71.8%

70%

68%

Arizona

77.4%

75.7%

75.1%

76%

78%

Arkansas

84.9%

86.9%

84.9%

84%

81%

California

82.0%

81.0%

80.4%

79%

76%

Colorado

77.3%

77.3%

76.9%

75%

74%

Connecticut

87.2%

87.0%

85.5%

85%

83%

Delaware

85.6%

87.0%

80.4%

80%

78%

District of Columbia

68.5%

61.4%

62.3%

59%

59%

Florida

77.9%

76.1%

75.6%

75%

71%

Georgia

78.8%

72.5%

71.7%

70%

67%

Hawaii

81.6%

81.8%

82.4%

81%

80%

Idaho

78.9%

77.3%

-

-

-

Illinois

85.6%

86.0%

83.2%

82%

84%

Indiana

87.1%

87.9%

87.0%

86%

86%

Iowa

90.8%

90.5%

89.7%

89%

88%

Kansas

85.7%

85.7%

85.7%

85%

83%

Kentucky

88.0%

87.5%

86.1%

-

-

Louisiana

77.5%

74.6%

73.5%

72%

71%

Maine

87.5%

86.5%

86.4%

85%

84%

Maryland

87.0%

86.4%

85.0%

84%

83%

Massachusetts

87.3%

86.1%

85.0%

85%

83%

Michigan

79.8%

78.6%

77.0%

76%

74%

Minnesota

81.9%

81.2%

79.8%

78%

77%

Mississippi

75.4%

77.6%

75.5%

75%

75%

Missouri

87.8%

87.3%

85.7%

84%

81%

Montana

86.0%

85.4%

84.4%

84%

82%

Nebraska

88.9%

89.7%

88.5%

88%

86%

Nevada

71.3%

70.0%

70.7%

63%

62%

New Hampshire

88.1%

88.1%

87.3%

86%

86%

New Jersey

89.7%

88.6%

87.5%

86%

83%

New Mexico

68.6%

68.5%

70.3%

70%

63%

New York

79.2%

77.8%

76.8%

77%

77%

North Carolina

85.6%

83.9%

82.5%

80%

78%

North Dakota

86.6%

87.2%

87.5%

87%

86%

Ohio

80.7%

81.8%

82.2%

81%

80%

Oklahoma

82.5%

82.7%

84.8%

-

-

Oregon

73.8%

72.0%

68.7%

68%

68%

Pennsylvania

84.8%

85.3%

85.5%

84%

83%

Rhode Island

83.2%

80.8%

79.7%

77%

77%

South Carolina

80.3%

80.1%

77.6%

75%

74%

South Dakota

83.9%

82.7%

82.7%

83%

83%

Tennessee

87.9%

87.2%

86.3%

87%

86%

Texas

89.0%

88.3%

88.0%

88%

86%

Utah

84.8%

83.9%

83.0%

80%

76%

Vermont

87.7%

87.8%

86.6%

88%

87%

Virginia

85.7%

85.3%

84.5%

83%

82%

Washington

78.2%

78.2%

76.4%

77%

76%

West Virginia

86.5%

84.5%

81.4%

79%

78%

Wisconsin

88.4%

88.6%

88.0%

88%

87%

Wyoming

79.3%

78.6%

77.0%

79%

80%

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts/Consolidated State Performance Reports

State High School Graduation Rates for Low Income Students

State

2014-15

2013-14

2012-13

2011-12

2010-11

Alabama

84.7%

81.5%

71.8%

66%

62%

Alaska

66.6%

59.6%

59.5%

59%

56%

Arizona

73.1%

69.9%

69.4%

71%

73%

Arkansas

81.7%

82.7%

80.3%

79%

75%

California

78.0%

76.0%

74.8%

73%

70%

Colorado

65.5%

64.2%

63.7%

61%

62%

Connecticut

75.9%

75.9%

72.1%

70%

63%

Delaware

76.0%

81.0%

74.2%

72%

71%

District of Columbia

68.2%

60.1%

58.9%

70%

58%

Florida

70.4%

67.8%

67.0%

65%

60%

Georgia

74.5%

62.5%

63.8%

61%

59%

Hawaii

75.9%

77.6%

78.2%

78%

75%

Idaho

72.0%

71.3%

N/A

N/A

N/A

Illinois

77.9%

78.5%

73.0%

73%

75%

Indiana

84.2%

85.4%

82.7%

85%

79%

Iowa

84.8%

84.1%

80.4%

80%

78%

Kansas

77.3%

76.9%

76.6%

76%

73%

Kentucky

84.8%

84.0%

85.4%

N/A

N/A

Louisiana

70.8%

68.8%

67.7%

66%

64%

Maine

75.6%

77.8%

76.9%

76%

73%

Maryland

78.6%

77.8%

75.8%

75%

74%

Massachusetts

78.2%

76.0%

73.6%

72%

70%

Michigan

67.5%

65.6%

63.9%

64%

63%

Minnesota

67.2%

65.9%

63.8%

59%

58%

Mississippi

70.5%

70.9%

70.2%

70%

69%

Missouri

80.7%

80.4%

78.0%

76%

75%

Montana

76.9%

75.4%

74.5%

73%

71%

Nebraska

81.4%

82.4%

80.9%

80%

78%

Nevada

63.7%

63.6%

64.0%

58%

53%

New Hampshire

76.7%

77.2%

75.7%

73%

72%

New Jersey

81.7%

79.6%

77.1%

75%

71%

New Mexico

63.5%

62.3%

64.7%

65%

56%

New York

71.0%

68.8%

67.5%

68%

69%

North Carolina

79.6%

78.0%

76.1%

75%

71%

North Dakota

71.0%

72.0%

72.0%

74%

76%

Ohio

68.7%

69.2%

69.6%

68%

65%

Oklahoma

77.5%

78.2%

79.7%

N/A

N/A

Oregon

66.4%

64.2%

60.4%

61%

61%

Pennsylvania

75.9%

76.5%

76.5%

74%

71%

Rhode Island

75.6%

71.1%

69.3%

66%

66%

South Carolina

73.7%

72.5%

70.5%

68%

67%

South Dakota

67.0%

65.0%

67.0%

67%

67%

Tennessee

83.5%

82.2%

80.7%

82%

80%

Texas

85.6%

85.2%

85.2%

85%

84%

United States

76.1%

74.6%

73.3%

72%

70%

Utah

76.7%

73.5%

72.9%

70%

65%

Vermont

78.0%

78.0%

75.0%

77%

77%

Virginia

75.4%

75.1%

74.0%

72%

70%

Washington

68.1%

66.8%

65.0%

66%

66%

West Virginia

82.9%

80.1%

73.7%

72%

69%

Wisconsin

77.3%

77.9%

76.6%

75%

74%

Wyoming

66.0%

65.0%

64.0%

65%

66%

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts/Consolidated State Performance Reports

State High School Graduation Rates for Children with Disabilities

State

2014-15

2013-14

2012-13

2011-12

2010-11

Alabama

72.4%

64.4%

76.9%

54%

30%

Alaska

57.0%

42.0%

43.0%

46%

40%

Arizona

64.4%

63.3%

63.3%

65%

67%

Arkansas

81.9%

83.1%

80.4%

79%

75%

California

65.0%

62.0%

61.9%

61%

59%

Colorado

53.8%

54.6%

53.8%

54%

53%

Connecticut

65.6%

65.2%

64.7%

64%

62%

Delaware

66.0%

68.0%

60.0%

57%

56%

District of Columbia

46.0%

41.0%

41.0%

44%

39%

Florida

56.8%

55.1%

52.3%

48%

44%

Georgia

54.3%

36.5%

35.1%

35%

30%

Hawaii

60.0%

59.0%

61.0%

60%

59%

Idaho

58.0%

59.0%

N/A

N/A

N/A

Illinois

70.5%

71.8%

70.1%

69%

66%

Indiana

70.9%

73.4%

69.3%

71%

65%

Iowa

77.0%

76.4%

72.7%

73%

70%

Kansas

77.3%

76.7%

77.8%

77%

73%

Kentucky

66.0%

70.8%

52.0%

N/A

N/A

Louisiana

44.3%

42.8%

36.7%

33%

29%

Maine

74.0%

71.0%

70.0%

70%

66%

Maryland

63.9%

63.5%

60.0%

57%

57%

Massachusetts

69.9%

69.1%

67.8%

69%

66%

Michigan

57.1%

55.1%

53.6%

54%

52%

Minnesota

61.1%

58.4%

58.2%

56%

56%

Mississippi

30.7%

28.1%

22.5%

32%

23%

Missouri

76.6%

75.3%

73.4%

70%

69%

Montana

75.0%

76.0%

76.0%

81%

69%

Nebraska

71.0%

72.0%

71.0%

72%

70%

Nevada

29.0%

27.6%

26.4%

24%

23%

New Hampshire

73.0%

72.0%

71.0%

70%

69%

New Jersey

78.0%

76.6%

75.9%

74%

73%

New Mexico

59.3%

56.5%

60.1%

56%

47%

New York

52.9%

51.8%

47.2%

48%

48%

North Carolina

67.3%

64.4%

62.3%

60%

57%

North Dakota

68.0%

70.0%

70.0%

68%

67%

Ohio

67.0%

68.4%

69.2%

68%

67%

Oklahoma

75.6%

77.2%

78.5%

N/A

N/A

Oregon

52.7%

51.1%

37.2%

38%

42%

Pennsylvania

71.5%

70.9%

75.0%

70%

71%

Rhode Island

68.0%

60.0%

59.0%

59%

58%

South Carolina

49.0%

43.2%

43.2%

40%

39%

South Dakota

60.0%

59.0%

60.0%

64%

64%

Tennessee

70.0%

69.0%

67.3%

73%

67%

Texas

78.2%

77.5%

77.8%

77%

77%

United States

64.6%

63.1%

61.9%

61%

59%

Utah

67.9%

68.2%

67.4%

64%

59%

Vermont

72.0%

70.0%

68.0%

71%

69%

Virginia

52.6%

53.2%

51.5%

49%

47%

Washington

58.0%

55.8%

54.6%

58%

56%

West Virginia

69.0%

70.3%

62.1%

60%

60%

Wisconsin

67.5%

69.0%

68.7%

69%

67%

Wyoming

59.0%

62.0%

59.0%

59%

57%

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts/Consolidated State Performance Reports

About the data

While adjusted cohort graduation rates shown are more comparable than previously published rates, the Education Department notes that some states still implement requirements differently, resulting in potential differences in how rates are computed.

Data was not applicable or unavailable for a few states with missing figures. Idaho did not begin to report adjusted cohort graduation rates until the 2013-14 school year.

RELATED CONTENT

The state’s headway with graduation rates has not been matched by similar success in measures that track students’ college and career readiness, prompting questions about what it takes to earn a high school diploma.

The U.S. high school graduation rate has reached 80 percent as states have made steady progress over the past 10 years. But those gains have been uneven and more needs to be done, education leaders and analysts say.

For the 1,350 districts that serve high numbers of military personnel, Native Americans and kids living in federally subsidized housing, Congress' new budget deal offers a chance at relief from serious federal cuts.

The state’s headway with graduation rates has not been matched by similar success in measures that track students’ college and career readiness, prompting questions about what it takes to earn a high school diploma.
READ MORE